"It feels good to know that you're playing a game," said Peavy, who has gone on the disabled list seven times since 2004.

Given the improvement of the Giants' starters in recent weeks, Peavy knows he has the luxury of taking his time in preparing to rejoin the rotation.

"There's no reason for me to rush this thing," Peavy said Thursday. "We have to make sure we make the right call when I'm ready."

In fact, a reflective Peavy recalled praising the Giants' pitching depth during Spring Training. That outlook has proven to be accurate, with Chris Heston and Ryan Vogelsong filling in capably for Peavy and Matt Cain.

Peavy, who said that he has been pain-free for about two weeks, expects to throw 50 pitches for the Giants' California League affiliate against Rancho Cucamonga. He's scheduled to start again on Wednesday, probably with Triple-A Sacramento. After that, the Giants will assess Peavy's progress and determine his next step.

Worth noting:

• Giants manager Bruce Bochy said that he and the team are solidly behind the Golden State Warriors, who are facing Houston in the NBA's Western Conference finals.

"We're pulling for them," Bochy said, noting that players enthusiastically watch the Warriors when a bus ride coincides with a playoff game. "It's great to have a Bay Area team doing as well as they're doing."